Butane cigarette lighter



Nov. 22, 1955 T. H. MORGAN BUTANE CIGARETTE LIGHTER Filed Feb. 10, 1954 ATTORNEY IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent Office 2,724,253 Patented Nov. 22, 1955 BUTANE CIGARETTE LIGHTER Thomas HrMorgan, Dallas, Tex.

Application February 10, 1954, Serial No. 409,405

Claims. (Cl.67-7.1)

This invention relates to lighters for smokers and it has particular reference to lighters in which commercial butane, propane and the like are used as fuel.

Lighters in which butane or other gaseous fluid is employed have proven to be popular with smokers chiefly for the reason that this type of fuel lends itself to storage for long periods as a liquid under pressure and readily vaporizes when released to atmosphere, producing a smokeless flame through a valve which can be conveniently adjusted to govern the height of theflame in relation to the flame tip of the lighter... Further advantages of butane as a lighter fuel over the hydro-carbon liquid employed in the wick-type lighters resides in the fact that the former is virtually odorless and presents no hazard when filling a lighter from pressurized containers, provided suitable valve mechanism is provided in the lighter to control pressure within the fuel reservoir of the lighter. In general, conventional butane lighters have not been altogether successful due to certain inefliciencies in valve mechanisms designed to control release of the vaporized liquid and which, because of the nature of the fuel, usually consist of many parts tending to complicate the mechanism to the extent that abso lute control in the release of the gas is virtually impossible. Moreover, valves made of resilient material in an eifort to simplify construction without sacrificing efficiency have been. found to bend under reservoir pressure, either holding the valve closely entirely or making impossible any consistent control of gas release.

It is the principal object of the present invention to overcome the inadequacies obvious in conventional butane lighters by providing .a valve Whose peculiar design and construction permits a positive and constant fiow of fuel issuing from the reservoir in open position of the valve and whichincludes a primary and a secondary restrictor necessary in this type of valve to insure such constant flow.

Another object of the invention. is to provide butane lighter valve having a flame tip or burner which is spring biased against the secondary resistor and constitutes an adjustment for predetermining the height of the flame.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a butane lighter valve in which a closing booster chamber is incorporated between the primary and secondary restrictors whose function is to insure speedy and positive closing action ofthe valve under reservoir pressure.

Yet another object. of the invention is to provide a filler valve equipped with. a piercingpin for penetrating the seal in the nozzle of a conventional refill container,

which nozzle is compressedly or threadedly receivable in a bore in the filler plug containing the valve to transfer liquid fuel from the container to the lighter reservoir without spilling or escape of pressure.

Broadly, an improvedbutane lighter .is provided having a minimum number of parts needed for positively controlling and igniting the gaseous fuel, said parts being designed and assembled in such mannerthat they are readily accessible to the user ofjthe lighter for adjustment of flame height, replacement of Hints and replenishing fuel. Furthermore, the organization of parts lend themselves to incorporation in a hand-fitting case of pleasing appearance, devoid of unsightly protrusions.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds when considered with the annexed drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a lighter constructed according to the invention and taken on line 11 of Figure 2.

Figure 2v is a vertical sectional view of the lighter rotated. from the showing in Figure 1..

Figure 3' is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the valve. and sparking wheel actuating lever in depressed position for opening: the valve and igniting the fuel.

Figure 4 is a. fragmentary view showing the operation of filling the lighter fuel reservoir from a fuel container.

Figure 5' is a detail perspective view of the sparking wheel and ratchet pawl on a larger scale.

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a yoke employed in the valve operating mechanism.

Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the fuel release valve.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference numeral 10 denotes generally the lighter case which is suitably drawn or molded in a norrow ellipsoidal shape in. transverse section without sharp edges, corners or projecting parts. The case includes a removable top or cap 11 whose lower edges frictionally engage the upper half of a peripheral flange 12 formed about a transverse partition 13 which is solder-sealed at a into the top of the lower portion 14 of the case. The lower portion 14 of the case constitutes a chamber or reservoir 15 for a gaseous lighter fuel such as commercial butane. The cap 11. and partition 13 provide an ignition and combustion chamber 16, the cap being provided with a. flame opening 17 having a downwardly and outwardly finish flange 18. To admit air into the chamber 16 necessary to proper combustion of fuel to produce a flame, any suitable opening or openings may be provided in the cap 11 but in the present case, a plurality of rows of apertures 19 are formed in the skirt of the, cap 11,. spaced upwardly from the bottom thereof and extending around the cap.

The partition 13 has an opening 20 therein adjacent one end thereof through which extends :a guide wall 21 having an annular flange 22 formed on its upper end which seats upon and. is Welded or soldered to the top of the partition 13. Extending downwardly into the guide well 21. is a flint tube 23 which is axially displaceable and contains a coil spring 24 which biases :a flint 25 against a sparking wheel 26 through the medium of a soft metal plug 27 which is attached to the upper end of the spring 24. Tensional adjustment on the spring 24 is accomplished through the medium of a screw 28 threaded into the bottom of the flint tube 23 to bear against the lower end of the spring. A knurled. end 29 is formed on the screw 28 to facilitate its manipulation.

An annular boss 30 is formed on the upper end of the flint tube 23 having a reduced upper end 31 which receives an. opening b in the web 32 of a yoke 33, the latter being shown inv detail in Figure 6. The yoke 33 is afiixed to the boss 30 by welding or soldering and is formed with parallel, relatively spaced arms 34 which engage in diametrically opposed recesses 35 in the top of a fuel release valve 36 which will be again referred to in more detail presently.

A clevis 37 (Figure 5) is disposed to oscillate between the upstanding sides 38 of the yoke 33 and is of substan tially U-shape, having sides 39 and 40 which have aligned apertures, one of which has a bushing 41 extending therethrough, whose aperture is adapted to register with the aligned apertures 42 (Figure 6) of the yoke to receive a shaft 43, on which the clevis oscillates. Mounted also on the shaft 43 is the sparking wheel 26 which is embraced by the clevis 37 whose function is to actuate the sparking wheel in the manner to be presently explained. The bushing 41 serves to center the sparking wheel 26 on the shaft 43.

Slidable longitudinally on one edge of the case 10 is an operating lever 44. This operating lever is formed with a radius conforming to that of the edge of the case and merges into the curvate design of the latter. The top 45 of the lever 44 is slightly inclined and convexed, as shown and is engaged by the thumb of the hand holding the case which exerts a downward thrust on the lever against the resistance of a coil spring 46 which biases the lever upwardly. The outer end of the spring 46 is engaged inan aperture 47 made in the top of a metal leaf insert 48 which lies in a longitudinal channel or recess 49 in the inner surface of the operating lever 44. The spring 46 extends through a slot 49a in the cover or cap 11 and the opposite or inner end of the spring engages in an aperture 50 (Figure 6) in an adjacent edge of the web 32 of the yoke 33.

It is apparent from the foregoing that the yoke 33, flint tube 23, clevis 37 and the sparking wheel 26 are held in floating suspension by the spring 46 when the operating lever 44 is in raised position.

To actuate the sparking wheel 26, a link 51 is connected at its inner end between a pair of ears 52 of the clevis 37 by means of a pin 53. The opposite or outer end of the link 51 extends through the slot 49a and is slidably received in a bore 54 in the top of the operating lever 44. Therefore, when the lever 44 is depressed, the clevis 37 is rocked on the shaft 43 by the link 51, the latter being permitted to slide in the bore 54 to compensate for the arc described by the ears 52 of the clevis as the latter rotates.

In order to impart rotation to the sparking wheel 26, the clevis 37, which is made of thin resilient material, is provided with a pawl which is formed by a slit 55 (Figure made in the side 39 thereof, one edge 56 of the slit being turned inwardly at an angle to the plane of the side 39 and adapted to successively engage the teeth 57 of a circular ratchet 58 which is affixed to or made integral with the side of the sparking wheel next adjacent the side 39 of the clevis 37, as borne out in Figure 5. Therefore, each time the lever 44 is depressed, the link 51 will rotate the clevis 37 on its shaft 43, causing engagement of the pawl 56 with a tooth 57 of ratchet 58, thereby producing a spark by reason of the engagement between the sparking wheel 26 and the flint 25, the frictional relationship between the wheel and flint being maintained by the spring 46 until such time as the operating lever is fully depressed.

To return the clevis 3.7 to its original position, a torsion spring 59 is provided which has two of its convolutions tightly engaging the shaft 43 as at c while the ends 60 and 61 engage the web 32 of yoke 33 and the top of the clevis 37, respectively. The end 61 of the spring 59 is bent at right angles to extend downwardly and overlie one end of the pin 53 to hold the same against longitudinal movement. The thrust, therefore, of the torsion spring 59 is to raise the clevis on its pivot while at the same time clamping the shaft 43 by its inner convolutions, tending to rotate the shaft to which the sparking wheel 26 is aflixed and to preclude longitudinal displacement of the shaft, making it unnecessary to peen the ends of the latter.

Referring again to the fuel release valve 36; an opening 62 is made in the partition 13 to receive an interiorly threaded sleeve 63 having a flange 64 on its upper end which is welded to the upper surface of the partition 13. Threaded into and extending below the sleeve 63 is thebody 65 of the valve which has an annular flange 66 about its upper end which is spaced above the flange 64 of the sleeve 63. An O-ring seal 67 is inter posed between the flanges 64 and 66.

Reciprocably disposed in an axial bore 68 in the valve body 65 is a core 69, the bore having a reduced lower portion defining an annular shoulder 6911 against which a shoulder 70, formed on the core 69, is adapted to engage as a stop to limit downward displacement of the core which is accomplished in a manner to be explained presently. The core 69 is also provided with a flange 71, spaced above the flange 66 of the valve body 65 and a resilient protector seal 72 is embedded in confronting grooves in the adjacent faces of these flanges.

The valve core 69 has an axial bore 73 extending partially therethrough, the upper portion of which is threaded to receive the threaded shank 74 of a flame tip or burner 75. The burner and shank 74 has an axial fuel passage 76 which communicates with the bottom of the bore 73 in which the upper end of a coil spring 77 engages a shoulder 78 formed on the shank 74, the lower end of the spring bearing against a blank disc 79 which latter is in flush engagement with a resilient washer 80. Washer 80 has a restricted opening which is in register with the upper end of a fuel passage 81 in the core 69, the latter being held normally closed by a valve stem 82 which reciprocates in an axial bore 82a which extends through the lower portion of the valve body 65. Repeated longitudinal reciprocable movements of the stem 82 in the orifice or passage 82a will prevent accumulation therein of impurities in the fuel used in the lighter. An O-ring 83 forms a seal about that portion of the core 69 which reciprocates in the reduced lower end of the bore 68 and, below the lower end of core 69, a space 84 is provided, serving as valve closing booster chamber. Pressure of gas entering the chamber from the reservoir 15 of the case through passage 82, tends to exert a force against washers 79 and counter to the action of spring 77, the washer 80 being compressible to close off further passage of gas upward through the burner shank 74.

The stem 82 of the valve extends downwardly through the fuel passage 82a in the valve body 65 and carries on its lower end a cup 85. A sealing washer 86 of resilient material is interposed between the cup and the lower end of the passage in which the stem 82 reciprocates to keep this passage closed except When the stem is displaced downwardly to open the valve. A valve closing spring 87 is threaded onto the threaded and reduced lower end of the valve body, its upper end engaging a shoulder 88 formed by the reduced diameter of the lower end of the valve body. The valve closing spring 87 must resist the energy of the spring 46 which biases the operating lever 44 to raised position, the energy of the torsion spring 59, the friction between the flint tube 23 and the well 21 as well as the tendency of the resilient seal 72 to hold the valve open. This can be accomplished by adjusting the spring 87 on the threaded portion on the lower end of the valve body 65. Moreover, such adjustment is made to adapt the valve to various vapor pressures developed by different types of fuels. The lower end of the spring has smaller convolutions 89 which embrace the extended end of the valve stem 82 below the cup 85. Energy tending to collapse the spring 87, combined with pressure of gas within the chamber 15, maintains closed position of the valve by exerting an upward force on the stem 32, whose upper end closes the lower end of fuel passage 81in the core 69.

The relative diameters of the valve stem 82 and its passage determines the primary rate of flow of fuel gas through the valve and constitutes the primary restrictor referred to in the preamble. A secondary restrictor is formed by the contiguous washers 79 and 80 which, as pointed out above, are biased together by the coil spring 77, the expansible washer holding back any gas rising into the booster chamber 84 until the valve is opened.

- Opening of the valve 36 is accomplished by downward pressure imposed by the yoke arms 34 which, as stated previously, are dis osed in recesses 35 in opposite sides of the flange 71 of the core 69. When the operating lever 44 is depressed, a. downward force will be transmitted to the yoke 33 through the link 51 and. clevis 37. Such force will compress the resilient annular sealing member 72 below the core flange 71, permitting the core to move downwardly in the bore of the valve body 65. When this occurs, the valve stem 82 will be moved in like manner, causing the sealing washer 86 to be displaced from its seal, allowing pressure to pass upwardly through the passage in which the stem 82 operates, entering chamber 84, thence upward through the passage 81 of the core 69, past the washers 79 and S and to the burner tip 75through the passage 76 in the shank 74.

The height of the flame ignited above the burner tip by sparks cast from the flint 25 by the sparking wheel 26 is controlled by rotating the tip 75. A slot 90 is made in the tip 75 for a screw driver, coin or other in strument and by screwing in the shank 74 of the tip, the spring 77 is brought under increased tension, imposing greater pressure on the washers 79 and 80, thus further restricting the gas and lowering the flame. The flame is increased in height by reverse rotation of the flame tip 75 to relieve pressure on the secondary restrictor, that is, the washers 79 and 80. i

To fill the reservoir 15 with commercial liquid butane fuel, reference is made primarily to Figure 4 which shows a detail view of thefiller valve 91 in receiving the nozzle of a conventional butane fuel container 92, shown partly broken away. These fuel containers are well known and can be purchased on open market.

The filler valve 91 consists of an interior-1y threaded sleeve 93 having a flange 94 on its upper end which is welded or soldered to the top of the partition 13, as shown. Threaded into and through the sleeve 93 is the tubular shank 95 of a filler plug 96 whose upper portion is of greater diameter than its shank 95 to define an annular shoulder 97 spaced upwardly from the flange 94 of the sleeve 93. Between. the shoulder 97 and the flange 94 is an O-ring seal 98.

Slidable longitudinally within the hollow shank 95 of the plug 96 is a hollow tubular member 99 on the upper end of which is formed a sharpened pin 100. The lower end of the tubular member 99is provided with diametrically opposed slots 101 which receive a transverse pin 102.- A coil spring 103 is arranged within thetubular member 99 with its upper end engaged with the top of the bore of the member andits lower end bearing on the transverse pin 102. Thus, the spring normally biases the tubular member 99 upwardly so that its pin 102 will extend into an internally threaded bore 104 in the plug 96. A sealing washer 105 is aflixed to the top of the tubular member 99 and embraces the pin 102 extending upwardly therefrom.

The conventional bottle or container 92 has an exteriorly threaded nozzle 106 which is threaded into the bore 104 of the plug 96 so that the pin 100 will engage the seal in the nozzle 106 of the container 92. Continued movement of the nozzle into the bore will cause the tubular valve member 99 to be moved inwardly until it is stopped by the transverse pin 102, whereupon the pin will pierce the seal of the container and permit its contents to flow into the fuel chamber 15 of the lighter. As a further precaution against escape of fuel as the lighter is being filled, a resilient seal 107 is secured in an annular recess in the top of the plug 96 to be engaged by the shoulders of the container 92 as the lighter is being filled.

When the fuel reservoir 15 has been filled, as described, the container 92 is unthreaded from the bore or socket 104, whereupon the spring 103 will instantly return the tubular valve member to closed position, which action is aided by internal pressure in the reservoir 15.

A cap- 108 (Figures 2 and 3) forms both a closure for the filler plug as well as a seal. The cap has a threaded shank 109 which enters the bore. 104 of the plug. 96 and formed on the cap is an upwardly projecting stem 110 on the top of which is formed a spherical knob 111 having a slot 112 for the reception of a screw driver, coin or the like for applying and removing the cap. The cap serves the further purpose of holding in place the cover 11 of the case 10. A pair of resilient arms 113 form a clamp which is riveted at 114 to the top of the cover 11, the arms depending intoclamping. engagement with the knob 111 when the cover 11 is applied to the case 10, thus resisting removal of the cover.

In some cases, it is preferred that the fuel chamber 15 of the lighter be packed with an absorbent material, such as cotton, only about. the corners of the chamber 15 adjacent the partition 13 in. order to prevent surging of the flame. However, it is considered more practical and economical to pack the entire chamber 1.5 with cotton or other suitable material to prevent jetting as well. as sloshing of the fuel within thechamber. In order to prevent fouling of the fuel release valve 36, a funnel shaped shield 115 engages the underside of the partition 13 to enclose the valve parts which extend below this partition.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is elaimedis:

1. A butane lighter mechanism comprising acase of ellipsoidal cross-section having. a sealed fuel chamber and a cover defining acombustion chamber, a valve body having. an axial bore extending partially therethrough and an axial passage effecting communication between said fuel chamber and said bore, a core reciprocable in said bore having an axial bore and an axial fuel passage effecting communication between its axial bore and the axial bore of said valve body; a valve spring normally biased to closing position over the axial passage of said valve body, a valve stem carried by said valve and reciprocable in the axial passage of said valve body, one end of said stern being engagea-ble by said core upon downward movement of the latter in the bore of said valve body to open said valve, a flame tip threaded into the axial bore of said core and having an axial fuel passage entering the bore of said core, spring. biased and expansible fuel restricting means in the axial bore of said core below said flame tip, a spring. suspended yoke engaging said core, a sparking wheel adjacent said flame tip, an operating handle slidable on said case effective to depress said yoke against resistance of its spring suspension means to actuate said valve stem to open said valve and means connecting said operating handle and said sparking wheel to actuate the latter simultaneously with the opening of said valve.

2. A butane lighter mechanism, a fuel reservoir, a valve body having an axial bore and an axial fuel passage effecting communication between said bore and said fuel reservoir, a spring biased valve normally closing said fuel passage, a valve stem connected to said valve and re ciprocable in said fuel passage, a depressible core in the bore of said valve body and engageable with said valve stem to open said valve, said core having an axial bore and an axial fuel passage, spring biased fuel restricting means in the bore of said core, a flame tip threaded in the bore of said core above said fuel restricting means, a spring suspended yoke bearing on said valve core, a sparking wheel stationary with said yoke and disposed adjacent said flame tip, an operating lever biased to raised position by the spring suspension means of said yoke and means interconnecting said operating lever and said yoke to depress said valve core to open said valve,

said means being effective to actuate said'sparking-wbeel simultaneously with the opening of said valve.

3. In alighter mechanism, a butane reservoir, a valve body entering said reservoir having an axial fuel passage communicating with said reservoir, a valve spring biased to closed position over said passage within said reservoir, a valve stem connected to said'valve and reciprocable in said fuel passage, a core having an axial passage and reciprocable in said valve body and adapted to engage said stem to displace said valve, a flame tip having an axial fuel passage threaded in said core, a spring suspended yoke engaging said valve core, a sparking Wheel stationary with said yoke adjacent said flame tip, an operating lever and means interconnecting said operating lever and yoke to depress the same to open said valve and effective to actuate said sparking wheel simultaneously with the opening of said valve.

4. The structure of claim 3, and a spring biased fuel restricting means in said core below said flame tip effective to vary the volume of fuel passing from said reservoir to said flame tip. v

5. The structure of claim 3 in which said interconnecting means is comprised of a clevis oscillatable on an axis common to said sparking wheel and spring biased in one direction, a link connecting said clevis and said operating lever for actuating said clevis in an opposite direction upon depression of said operating lever and ratchet means carried jointly by said clevis and said sparking wheel for actuating the latter in one direction when said clevis is oscillated.

6. In a lighter mechanism, a butane reservoir, a combustion chamber, a valve body in sealed engagement with said reservoir and having a fuel passage effecting communication between said combustion chamber and said reservoir, a valve normally spring biased to closed position over said fuel passage within said reservoir, a valve stem attached to said valve and reciprocable in said fuel passage, a depressible core in said valve body and engageable with said valve stem to open said valve, said core having a fuel passage communicating with the fuel passage of said valve body, fuel restricting means in the fuel passage of said core, a flame tip in said core above said fuel restricting means and movable to adjust said fuel restricting means to vary the quantity of fuel passing said restricting means, a depressible yoke engaging said core, a sparking wheel and a clevis operating on a common axis adjacent said flame tip, an operating lever and means connecting said operating lever and said clevis for depressing said yoke to depress said core to open said valve simultaneously with the operation of said sparking wheel.

7. The structure of claim 6, and spring means normally suspending said yoke, said clevis and said sparking wheel and effective to hold said operating lever in elevated position.

8. The structure of claim v6, said fuel restricting means comprising a resilient washer and a disc of normally equal diameter within the fuel passage of said core about which said fuel passes in its course through said fuel passage, said resilient washer being expandible to vary the elfective size of said fuel passage.

9. The structure of claim 8 in which said Washer and said disc are normally biased into juxtaposition by spring means in the fuel passage or said core.

10. In a lighter mechanism, a butane fuel reservoir and a combustion chamber, a partition separating said reservoir and said combustion chamber, a valve composed of an internally threaded sleeve disposed in an opening in said partition and having a flange in sealing engagement therewith, flanged valve body extending threadedly through said sleeve into said reservoir and having an axial bore in portions of different diameters extending partially therethrough, an axial fuel passage efifecting communication between said bore and said reservoir, a core reciprocable in the bore of said body having a portion of reduced diameter extending into a reduced portion of the bore of said body, sealing means between said core and said body within said bore, said core having a flange overlying the flange of said valve body and provided with an axial bore and an axial fuel passage communicating with the bore of said valve body, compressible sealing means between the flanges of said core and said valve body, a flame tip having a shank threaded into the bore of said core and provided with an axial fuel passage communicating with the bore of said core, a valve normally biased to closed position over the axial fuel passage of said valve body within said reservoir, a valve stem attached to said valve and reciprocable in the axial fuel passage of said valve body and engageable by the bottom of said core, adjustable fuel restricting means in the bore of said core, an operating lever, spring suspended fuel ignition means adjacent said flame tip and means interconnecting said operating lever and said valve core effective to depress the same to open said valve and to simultaneously actuate said ignition means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

